"That was a benchmark," he said. "It was a match that I actually played in and I saw the consequences of it.

"From that point of view we really need to look at whether there's been a big enough change that football fans could be relied upon to behave."

Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Smith, chairperson of the ACPOS policing business area's football sub-committee, said he appreciated the commercial incentives of lifting the ban.

"However, Scottish football has been complimented for being a progressively safer environment for spectators and the restriction of alcohol is one of the key components of this successful model," he added.